The Word of Life, Jesus Christ, has been made manifest and was seen and heard by the apostles, who now testify to this truth. They announce this to others so that they may have fellowship with the Father and the Son. God is light and has no darkness, and those who claim to have fellowship with Him must walk in the light, not in darkness. Those who confess their sins are forgiven and cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, while those who deny their sins deceive themselves and make God a liar.
1 He who was from the beginning, whom we have heard, whom we have seen with our eyes, upon whom we have gazed, and whom our hands have certainly touched: He is the Word of Life 2 And that Life has been made manifest. And we have seen, and we testify, and we announce to you: the Eternal Life, who was with the Father, and who appeared to us 3 He whom we have seen and heard, we announce to you, so that you, too, may have fellowship with us, and so that our fellowship may be with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 4 And this we write to you, so that you may rejoice, and so that your joy may be full 5 And this is the announcement which we have heard from him, and which we announce to you: that God is light, and in him there is no darkness 6 If we claim that we have fellowship with him, and yet we walk in darkness, then we are lying and not telling the truth 7 But if we walk in the light, just as he also is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin 8 If we claim that we have no sin, then we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us 9 If we confess our sins, then he is faithful and just, so as to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all iniquity 10 If we claim that we have not sinned, then we make him a liar, and his Word is not in us